Posted in: Avengers, Batman, Comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Batman #163, captain america, H2SH, heroes reborn, jeph loeb, jim lee, rob liefeld

Separated At Birth – Jim Lee's Batman & Rob Liefeld's Captain America?

Separated At Birth - Jim Lee's Batman #163 from 2026 and Rob Liefeld's Captain America from 1992... What's Jeph Loeb's role in this?

Published Thu, 28 May 2026 09:57:14 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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This is one I did not expect. On the left is the cover to Captain America #2 by Rob Liefeld, part of Heroes Reborn, a Marvel Comics pocket universe reboot of several Marvel characters, published by Marvel in 1992 by Image Comics founders Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Jim Valentino, and Whilce Portacio. Extreme Studios did two books, and Wildstorm did two, and Captain America was written and drawn by Rob Liefeld and scripted by Jeph Loeb.

: Captain America #2 by Rob Liefeld (1992)

: Batman #163 by Jim Lee

And from yesterday, Jim Lee's opening title splash page of Batman #163, the final issue of H2SH Part One. And also written by Jeph Loeb. Is this an unofficial almost-anniversary swipe file? At least Batman doesn't have whatever that thing coming out of Captain America's trousers is… oh wait, it's just a perspective thing, that's his show. My bad….

Call it Separated At Birth or call it Swipe File, we present two or more images that resemble each other to some degree. They may be homages, parodies, ironic appropriations, coincidences, or works of the lightbox. We trust you, the reader, to make that judgment yourself. If you are unable to do so, please return your eyes to their maker before any further damage is done. Separated At Birth doesn't judge; it is more interested in the process of creation, how work influences other work, how new work comes from old, and sometimes how the same ideas emerge simultaneously, as if their time has just come. The Swipe File was named after the advertising industry habit of writers and artists collecting images and lines they admire to inspire their work. It was swiped from The Comics Journal, which originally ran a similar column, as well as the now-defunct Swipe Of The Week website, but Separated At Birth was considered a less antagonistic title.